In this technique, you start sewing onto a small piece of scrap fabric, butt your sewing project up to the anchor cloth and sew onto it, and then end your stitching line by sewing off onto the anchor cloth as well.
This keeps your stitch from bunching up at the beginning of your line of stitching, saves thread, and eliminates the need to clip multiple thread tails on your project.
I like to take this tool one step further and use an anchor "project" rather than a disposable piece of fabric.
Here is what I mean....
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| Doll Quilt |
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| Pincushion, Recycled Envelopes, Quilt Blocks |
Here are a few items I've made as "anchor" projects. A doll quilt with tumbler blocks, a batik strip pincushion, some tag envelopes, and blocks for a Storm at Sea quilt in progress.
Each of these items started as small units that I stacked next to my sewing machine within reach for starting and ending whatever stitching I was currently working on. Before long, I had an extra project finished. I call that a "Two-fer"!
I'm sure you can think of other projects you could do using this technique.
Each of these items started as small units that I stacked next to my sewing machine within reach for starting and ending whatever stitching I was currently working on. Before long, I had an extra project finished. I call that a "Two-fer"!
I'm sure you can think of other projects you could do using this technique.
Those of us who have been sewing for awhile are sure to have a bunch of scraps we would love to put to good use - maybe in a Chinese Coin quilt? Hmmmm.......
If you have a sewing tip that you would like to share, please leave a link to your blog or website post below. I would love to see them.
Happy Sewing ♥
I've never been good about doing leaders/enders. I need to start; I have been wanting to make doll quilts. Guess this is good a time as any.
ReplyDeleteI use anchor fabrics too and they've made a great difference in lowering my frustration level! No matter how hard I try if I don't use one the edge of whatever I'm sewing inevitably gets pushed down into the hole and it bunches up so badly I have to stop sewing and start over. I don't have a tip but I do have a product that I bought recently and loved....Sewing Edge is a strip that clings to your machine (just like the ones you use under your ruler to mark your cutting line)but is thick enough for your fabric to butt up against when sewing. It makes my quarter inch seams perfect. :) blessings, marelene
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